Device for the simultaneous sterili



June 18, 1940. LAMBERT DEVICE FOR THE SIHULTANEOUS STERILIZATION Imelda OF A NURSING BOTTLE AND ITS NIPPLE Filed lay 27, 1938 Patented Jun le", 1940 v PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS STERILI- ZATION OF A NURSING BOTTLE AND ITS NIPPLE Georges Lambert, Lyon, France Application May 27, 1938, Serial No." 210,357

, In France May 27, 1937 V 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for thesimultaneous sterilization of a nursing bottle and its nipple, involving the use of a deep cover surrounding said nipple and serving subsequently B to protect it until it is to be utilized.

This device has considerable advantages because nursing bottles thus sterilized are easy to transport for travel, promenade, and ensure complete safety when delivered to infant's homes,

Q nurseries, and the like, the nipple being kept in a perfectly aseptic state until it is to be used.

The essential feature of the present invention lies in the fact that an airtight packing, permitting the outflow of steam and air during the heating and preventing, at the time of cooling, any inflow of external air, is provided between the deep cover above mentioned and the nursing bottle or an independent vessel containing them.

The plastic packing member which ensures p the provision of an airtight joint is constituted by a socalled "double skirt nipple, the lower skirt of which comes, after sterilization, to be applied against the neck of the bottle, while the upper skirt, turned upwardly, is applied around 5 the wall of the cover, an airtight closing of the whole being thusobtained in a perfectly reliable manner.

This packing may also be constituted either by the base of the nipple bearing upon the neck 3 of the bottle or by a ring of rubber or any other suitable matter bearing upon a corresponding shoulder or the like of the neck or body of the bottle, or again by the association of a cover with an independent vessel adapted to contain l both the bottle and its nipple.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, given merely by way of example, and in which:

i Fig. 1 is a separate view, in elevation, of a double skirt nipple;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a "double skirt nipple fitted on the neck of a nursing bottle and surrounded by the deep cover;

' Fig. 3 is a, similar view, partly in section, partly in perspective, with the upper skirt turned up in order to ensure a fiuidtight closing or the whole system;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views, respectively similar to Figs. 1 and 3, of another embodiment, in which -the nipple is provided with a separate ring.

The nipple shown by Fig. 1 difiers from the usual type or nipple in that it is provided with a double skirt. The inner skirt b is intended to be applied upon the neck 0 of the bottle and the outer skirt d is intended to be turned up so as to cover the lower edge of the cover e.

The fitting of the nipple upon the neck of the nursing bottle c is effected as in the case of an ordinary nipple, the double skirt surrounding the neck of the bottle.' The cover e is then merely placed upon the edge of said neck'covered by the base of. the nipple. This cover is provided near its lower edge with a plurality of holes I distributed along the periphery thereof in such manner-as to facilitate evacuation of steam and air when the bottle and its nipple are being sterilized.

The outer skirt (1 is then turned upwardly so as to cover the lower edge of the cover 6. In this position, the whole of the bottle and its cover, assembled together by the nipple, constitutes a single unit which is homogeneous and easy to transport, even without the use of a supplementary clip or spring for holding them together. W

During sterilization, steam and air, escaping through the holes 1, are allowed to flow out by slightly lifting the upper skirt d of the nipple.

After sterilization, the pressure of the external air strongly applies the skirts of the nipple re- 5 spectively against the neck of the bottle and that of the cover, thus ensuring, in a safe manner, the

airtight closing of the whole, under the action of i the vacuum which depresses the rubber of the nipple into the holes of the cover.

The joint thus obtained by means of a double skirt nipple undergoes transportation and handlings of all kinds in a perfect manner.

These double skirt nipples can of course be,- provided for all kinds of nursing bottles, either with a small or with a large neck.

At the time of use, in order to permit air to flow back into the nursing bottle, without risk of the nipple being driven in, it sufices to pinch the lower skirt.

The same result as above described can be obtained by making use of an ordinary nipple covered with a sterilization cover, the whole of the bottle and the cover being subsequently surrounded with an independent sheath or ring g, as illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5.

This embodiment of the invention is, of course, less easy to employ than that including the use of a double skirt nipple.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesisz 1. A closure for use in sterilizing a nursing bottle, comprising a nipple for engagement over the neck of a bottle, a skirt portion for the open end of the nipple, and a protective cover to loosely embrace the nipple and to engage the latter adjacent its open end to hold it against the neck of the bottle, the side wall of the cover being provided with orifices closed by the skirt portion which embraces and holds the cover and allows air and steam to escape under pressure [rom'within the nipple and cover and seals the orifices against admission of air into the cover from without. 7

2. A closure for use in sterilizing a nursing bottle, comprising a nipple for engagement over the neck of a bottle, a cover loosely embracing the nipple and resting upon the same over the portion embracing the bottle neck, said cover adjacent the open end thereof having a plurality of orifices, and a sealing portion for the open end of the nipple to embrace the cover to hold the same against the nipple and to close the oriflces against the admission ofair from without the cover but to'allow the escape of air or vapor under pressure from within the cover when the bottle and nipple are subjected to a sterilization process.

3. A closure for use in sterilizing a nursing bottle, comprising a nipple having a double skirt portion to fit over the neck of a bottle, and a cover loosely embracing the nipple and resting upon 2,2o4,ees

the latter to hold it against the bottle neck, said cover having a plurality of circumferentially disposed orifices adjacent the open end thereof, the double skirt of the nipple being divided to embrace the bottle neck and the cover to hold it against the nipple and to close the orifices from without, whereby pressure from within the cover may be released, but air from without is prevented from entering through the orifices in the process of sterilizing the nipple.

4. A closure for use in sterilizing a nursing bottle, comprising a nipple provided with two divided layers forming a skirt portion which embraces the neck of a bottle, and a deep cover member disposed over the nipple and seated'at its open end upon the nipple above the skirt portion to hold the nipple against the bottle neck, said cover being provided with circumferential orifices adjacent its open end, one layer of the said skirt being turned away from the other layer to embrace the cover and close the orifices from the outside, whereby pressure from within the cover may be released through the orifices and outwardly between the layer and cover, but whereby the orifices are sealed against the entrance ofair from without.

GEORGES LAMBERT. 

